In this chapter of Genesis, The Lord God appears to Abraham (His name now changed, means “Father of Nations” (Genesis 17:5) with two Angels. They are on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah, to destroy it for the wickedness they have done there (sodomy).

Abraham only knows these are strangers, and as the custom of the day he invites them to rest and prepares food for them.

As they are ready to depart, the Lord tells Abraham “…I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah (Her name means “Princess” – Genesis 17:15) thy wife shall have a son…”

Knowing now this is the Lord, Abraham goes with them to their point of departure, and the Lord then said:

“Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” – Genesis 18:17-18

We should consider that, through Abraham we would get the three great religions of all time: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But, through only one religion, Christianity, would “all nations of the earth be blessed“. Israel will be saved at the end of time when they recognize that Jesus was the Messiah whom they rejected.

Let me expound upon this:

Though God truly blesses Israel and states that the people of Israel are His chosen people, He clearly explains to them that their ways after the Exodus from Egypt and up until the time of Christ are not acceptable.

Their falling away by disobeying His commandments to flee from idolatry leads to Ezekiel 20:24-26, after God has recounted Israel’s continual rebellion from Him:

“{20:24} Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols.{20:25} Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were] not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; {20:26} And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through [the fire] all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I [am] the LORD.”

This passage clearly states that the Israelites could NO LONGER LIVE by the statues God gave them, that their blood offerings would no longer be acceptable, as we see again in the Book of Isaiah:

“{1:11} To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.{1:12} When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? {1:13} Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting. {1:14} Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them. ]{1:15} And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.{1:16} Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; {1:17} Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. {1:18} Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

And though He does say he will restore them at the end, by bringing them “…out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered…” (Ezekiel 20:41), He makes it clear why this will be done:

“And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.” – Ezekiel 20:44

But, the final blessing of the Lord for Israel (in the last days) is given in Ezekiel 28:25-26:

“{28:25}Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gatheredthe house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shallthey dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. {28:26}And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD their God.”

And, as Christians, we know that this will only come with Christ’s return, when it is HE who judge’s the nations of the world, and Israel will recognize that He WAS THE MESSIAH whom they rejected:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” — Zechariah 12:10

“And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” — Zechariah 13:6

And just so we are sure that it is Jesus who was prophesied as their Messiah:

“…Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass...” – Zechariah 9:9

So, when God says “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” – Genesis 18:17-18

we should realize this is a prophecy of Jesus, who comes through the lineage of Kings (David) from the line of Isaac, through whom all the nations of the world (including Israel) will be blessed when they accept Him as the Saviour of the world, the Son of God.

How comforting to know, as a Christian, that God would choose a way of Salvation for this world, instead of destruction, when we all were fallen away…